Cortisol = produced by adrenal cortex in kidneys

Anterior pituitary gland produces ADH (antidiuretic hormone) and oxytocin (helps w/ childbirth)

ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) = regulates the amount of cortisol + produced in anterior pituitary
gland

Automatic processing = you dont have to think to do a task (e.g. riding a bike)

Controlled processing = you have to think to do the task (e.g. writing a report)

Alcohol increases GABA production so everything is inhibited.

Alcohols initial effect is that it acts like a GABA agonist. So it inhibits various brain processes.

After a while, the GABA receptors on neurons become resistant. Its harder to activate them, so at
normal GABA levels, youre not going to be able to inhibit the brain as needed. It takes alcohol to get the
persons brain to be inhibited.

After chronic use, if you try to withdraw, you will have no inhibition occurring w/ just the natural GABA
levels. And so you might die. Or if you give the body a dose of alcohol when it is not expecting it, it will
not sustain such an overload of GABA/GABA type action and will have a seizure, convulsions, or die.